A man accused of murdering a New Orleans police officer in 2015 halted jury selection in his trial Wednesday by smearing feces on his face, head and mouth, horrifying potential jurors and courtroom spectators.
Travis Boys, 35, apparently put the feces, wrapped in tissue, in his pocket during a bathroom break earlier in the day, NOLA.com reported. He was seated at the defense table with his attorneys when he pulled the tissue out and silently rubbed the waste on himself.
Boys is charged with first-degree murder in the June 20, 2015, shooting death of Officer Daryle Holloway. The officer was transporting Boys to jail when Boys allegedly shot him inside his police SUV.
Boys escaped custody and was at large for about 24 hours before being recaptured. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
The Advocate reported that criminal defense lawyer David Belfield, who is Holloway's uncle, witnessed the incident. Belfield said he believed Boys was trying to sway potential jurors.
"It's calculated, and it shows that he's not insane, not crazy," Belfield told the newspaper.
Boys has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity, the Advocate reported. District Court Judge Karen Herman ruled last month that Boys was competent to stand trial in Holloway’s slaying.
After halting the proceedings Wednesday, however, Herman ordered that another competency hearing be held on Thursday. His attorneys have argued that Boys suffers from low IQ and mental health problems.
Though Herman ruled him competent to stand trial, she is allowing the defense to present evidence of schizophrenia in Boys’ family, the Advocate said.
The judge dismissed the panel of potential jurors who witnessed Boys’ actions on Wednesday.
The Advocate reported that the odor of bleach clung to the air an hour after the incident.
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